A capsule endoscope equipped with an imaging function and a wireless function has recently appeared in the field of endoscopes. This capsule endoscope is configured so as to peristaltically move inside (body cavity) the organs such as stomach, small intestine and the like during the observation period from after being swallowed by a subject for observation (examination) until naturally excreted from the body (human body) of the subject, and to sequentially perform imaging using the imaging function.
During the observation period of the movement inside the organs, the image data imaged in the body cavity by the capsule endoscope are sequentially transmitted to an external device arranged exterior to the subject by means of wireless function such as wireless communication, and stored in a memory arranged in the external device. If the subject carries the external device having the wireless function and the memory function, the subject can move around without suffering from inconvenience during the observation period from after swallowing the capsule endoscope until excreted. After observation, doctors, nurses etc. are able to display the image of the body cavity on a display unit such as a display based on the image data stored in the memory of the external device, and make a diagnosis.
This type of capsule endoscope includes a swallow type as disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example, of interiorly arranging a reed switch that is turned ON/OFF by the external magnetic field to control the drive of the electric load for executing the imaging function, the wireless function and the like in the capsule endoscope, and being accommodated in a package including a permanent magnet for supplying such external magnetic field is proposed. That is, the reed switch arranged in the capsule endoscope has a configuration of maintaining an OFF state in the environment where a magnetic field of greater than or equal to a constant strength is applied, and being turned ON when the strength of the external magnetic field decreases. Thus, the electric load is not driven while being accommodated in the package. When the capsule endoscope is taken out from the package in time of swallowing, the capsule endoscope will no longer be influenced by the magnetic force as it is isolated from the permanent magnet, whereby the drive of the electric load starts. According to such configuration, the drive of the electric load is prevented while being accommodated in the package, and the imaging of the image by means of the imaging function as well as the transmission of the image signal by means of the wireless function of the capsule endoscope are performed after being taken out from the package.
Patent Document 1: International Publication No. 01/35813 Pamphlet